Grant Thornton names Beatrix Bernauer as Chief Compliance Officer

LOS ANGELES —Grant Thornton LLP has named Beatrix Bernauer as the firm’s chief compliance officer. In this role, she will oversee the firm’s enterprise compliance program and manage ethical and regulatory compliance issues.

“The chief compliance officer role embraces compliance as an important component of quality, one of our firm’s main pillars,” said Ken Cunningham, Grant Thornton’s chief legal officer. “Beatrix is uniquely suited for this role with her remarkable leadership qualities, and deep knowledge of the laws and regulations in the professional services industry.”

In her new role, Bernauer will lead the firm’s formal compliance program, and coordinate with other firm leaders to promote the highest standards of ethics and integrity in all areas of Grant Thornton’s business. She will focus on performing compliance assessments, implementing and improving policies and procedures, overseeing investigations, and ensuring accountability for behavior.

Bernauer serves as Grant Thornton’s deputy general counsel and principal in Risk, Regulatory and Legal Affairs. Over the last 14 years with the firm, Bernauer was responsible for legal matters related to risk management, litigation management, regulatory and ethical compliance, and complex transactions.

Bernauer is a licensed attorney in Illinois and registered in-house counsel in California. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Association of Corporate Counsel and International Association of Privacy Professionals. She received her Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University, Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago and her bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University.

About Grant Thornton LLP
Founded in Chicago in 1924, Grant Thornton LLP (Grant Thornton) is the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the world’s leading organizations of independent audit, tax and advisory firms. Grant Thornton, which has revenues in excess of $1.7 billion and operates 59 offices, works with a broad range of dynamic publicly and privately held companies, government agencies, financial institutions, and civic and religious organizations.

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